[K-Women Talk] Hong Hyewan, the Wife Who Took Charge of the Household for Joseon's Genius Jeong Yakyong

A Difficult Life as the Wife of Dasan Jeong Yak-yong
Taking on All Kinds of Hard Work While Farming
Supporting Her Exiled Husband and Children

Lee Han, historian and writer

There is a name that sounds very unfamiliar to us. However, her husband is very famous. Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, one of the greatest geniuses representing Joseon and the foundation of Dasan studies, was none other than Hong Hye-wan's husband, and thus her name is remembered as Pungsan Hong, the wife of Dasan. Hong Hye-wan left no records written by herself. Undoubtedly, she must have exchanged many conversations and letters with her husband Jeong Yak-yong, but she remains known only indirectly through her husband's collected works.

She was the daughter of military officer Hong Hwabo, and at the age of 15, she married Jeong Yak-yong wearing a beautiful dark red skirt. Although she became the wife of the greatest genius in Joseon, life was not easy. Jeong Yak-yong consistently topped the exams at Sungkyunkwan, but repeatedly failed the important higher civil service exams. One day, when their poor household had run out of food, their servant stole a pumpkin from the neighbor’s house. However, Hong Hye-wan even took a cane and scolded the servant. No matter how hungry one was, stealing from others was unacceptable.

Seeing this scene, Jeong Yak-yong lamented his own helplessness and composed a poem. Thanks to this poem, we know this story, but while her husband was writing poems, it was Hong Hye-wan’s role to somehow provide food and take care of the children. Fortunately, Jeong Yak-yong eventually passed the civil service exam and obtained an official position, but the good times were very short. After King Jeongjo passed away and the Shin-yu Persecution occurred, Jeong Yak-yong and his brothers were either sentenced to death or exiled. Hong Hye-wan bid farewell to her husband as he left for the distant place of exile, holding their youngest son in her arms.

From then on, with no knowledge of when her husband would return, Hong Hye-wan devoted all her strength to taking care of the family by doing all kinds of hard work. She planted garlic, gathered chestnuts, and raised silkworms. But the sorrow continued. Throughout her life, she gave birth to nine children, but except for two sons and one daughter, the rest died young. Especially the youngest son, who longed to see his exiled father, fell ill and died. It is beyond imagination how Hong Hye-wan’s heart must have felt through all this suffering.

Jeong Yak-yong was deeply saddened by the poverty of the household, the children’s illnesses, and deaths, but confined in exile, he could do nothing but send letters. Fortunately, Hong Hye-wan steadily farmed and was able to save enough money to send to her husband in exile. The countless tears, sweat, and anguish that followed can only be imagined. How did she manage to endure it all?

However, Hong Hye-wan was not a woman who passively accepted fate; rather, she was a strong wife who even scolded her husband. When the only son of Jeong Yak-jeon, Jeong Yak-yong’s second older brother, died young, the grieving sister-in-law wanted to adopt a distant relative as a son. But when Jeong Yak-yong opposed it on the grounds that it violated etiquette, Hong Hye-wan sent a stern letter saying, "People are more important, so do not speak of etiquette." Eventually, even the great Jeong Yak-yong yielded.

After 18 years in exile, in 1818, Jeong Yak-yong was finally released and returned to Hong Hye-wan’s side. By then, Hong Hye-wan was 57 years old, an elderly woman, and she lived with her husband for another 18 years. On the day of their 60th wedding anniversary celebration, Jeong Yak-yong passed away. Hong Hye-wan was buried beside him two years later.

Though her life was full of frustration and sorrow, the place she stayed until Jeong Yak-yong’s death was the house in Mahyeon. Without Hong Hye-wan, who endured deeper sorrow than her husband and cultivated their home, could the human Jeong Yak-yong have existed?

Lee Han, Historical Writer